Source: The Economist:
From the football pitch to politics to the economy, Germany has become Europe’s most powerful country. Described by this newspaper as the sick man of Europe in 1999, Germany now appears to have the continent’s strongest as well as its biggest economy. It accounts for a fifth of the European Union’s output and a quarter of its exports. From Volkswagen to SAP, Germany’s big companies are world-renowned. Many smaller German firms are global champions in niche markets such as tunnel-boring machines and industrial cleaners.
An interesting article. While living in Germany for more than two decades would like to add one psychological reason why Germans are reluctant to take over global leadership. Few years back in Goettingen University a meeting was held under the arrangements of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Germany. Question of global leadership came under discussion. An eminent scholarly German explained that German nation has a characteristics to show extreme loyalty to its leaders. However past experience did not prove good in this regard as in both cases the German leader took wrong decisions and whole nation suffered for it. The writer also mentioned the attempts done in this direction. So as a whole the nation is afraid of its leaders for global role lest it might not prove destructive once again. In that meeting the late Fourth supreme head of Ahmadiyya Community advised the nation to accept Ahmadiyya Islam and follow a leader who is heavenly guided to ensure the correct path for the nation.. Any way the nation has the potential and will to resume global leadership but psychologically each German is afraid due to bad past experience.